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APIs · head to head

Backbase vs Basis Theory

Backbase logo

Backbase

APIs

Digital and AI-native engagement banking platform for customer-facing banking experiences

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Basis Theory logo

Basis Theory

APIs

Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate

From
$995/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Backbase pricing scales with assets under management and AI API calls, meaning cost grows as the bank itself grows and adopts more AI features, which is a less predictable cost curve than a flat per-seat model.; Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • They diverge on capability: Backbase covers Digital banking front end, Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backbase and Basis Theory actually diverge.

Attributes where Backbase and Basis Theory differ
AttributeBackbaseBasis Theory
Starting priceOn request$995/month
Pricing modelquotePer month by token volume
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Backbase

  • Digital banking front end
  • Digital onboarding
  • Customer engagement workflows
  • AI-native banking OS positioning
  • Core-agnostic integration
  • Small business banking modules

Only in Basis Theory

  • Tokenisation API
  • Hosted elements
  • Outbound proxy
  • PCI attestation of compliance
  • Processor portability
  • Reactors
  • Access controls and audit
  • PII and PHI options

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Backbase

  • An established bank wanting to modernise its digital customer experience without replacing its core banking systemnot Basis Theory
  • A credit union wanting purpose-built digital onboarding and servicing workflowsnot Basis Theory
  • A newer bank wanting an engagement layer built for AI-driven interaction from the outsetnot Basis Theory
  • A bank consolidating several separate digital banking front ends into one platform across retail and business bankingnot Basis Theory

Basis Theory

  • A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot Backbase
  • A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Backbase
  • A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Backbase
  • A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot Backbase

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Backbase

  • Pricing scales with assets under management and AI API calls, meaning cost grows as the bank itself grows and adopts more AI features, which is a less predictable cost curve than a flat per-seat model.
  • It sits above, not instead of, a core banking system, so adopting it does not reduce a bank's overall vendor count or technology complexity; it adds a specialised layer.
  • As with any customer-facing banking platform, an outage or performance issue directly affects the bank's customers, so the operational stakes of vendor reliability are high.
  • Implementation for a large bank spans multiple modules and integration points, and realistic timelines run well beyond a simple software rollout.
  • Pricing opacity means a bank cannot benchmark Backbase against competing engagement banking platforms without engaging each vendor's own sales process separately.

Basis Theory

  • The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
  • Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
  • Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
  • An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Backbase

On request
  • Backbase$undefined/year
    • Pricing scales with users, modules, assets under management and AI API calls
    • Custom quote required, not published

Basis Theory

$995/month
  • Starter$995/month
    • 20,000 tokens included
    • Production PCI Level 1 environment
    • US region only
  • Scale$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Higher token volumes
    • Additional regions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
    • Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D

Which should you pick?

Choose Backbase if

  • You need digital banking front end.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want digital onboarding.
Backbase review

Choose Basis Theory if

  • You need tokenisation api.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want hosted elements.
Basis Theory review

Questions people ask

Is Backbase or Basis Theory better?
Neither clearly leads. Backbase starts at On request and Basis Theory at $995/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backbase or Basis Theory?
Backbase starts at On request and Basis Theory at $995/month.
Does Backbase or Basis Theory run on more platforms?
Backbase runs on Web, iOS, Android. Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
What is Backbase best used for?
Backbase is most often used for an established bank wanting to modernise its digital customer experience without replacing its core banking system, a credit union wanting purpose-built digital onboarding and servicing workflows, a newer bank wanting an engagement layer built for ai-driven interaction from the outset, a bank consolidating several separate digital banking front ends into one platform across retail and business banking. Of those, an established bank wanting to modernise its digital customer experience without replacing its core banking system and a credit union wanting purpose-built digital onboarding and servicing workflows are not what Basis Theory is typically brought in for.
What can Backbase do that Basis Theory cannot?
Backbase covers Digital banking front end, Digital onboarding, Customer engagement workflows, AI-native banking OS positioning. Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Backbase: Does Backbase replace our core banking system?

No, it is a customer engagement layer that sits above and integrates with an existing core banking system.

Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?

It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.

Backbase: How does pricing work?

It scales with factors including number of users, modules implemented, assets under management and AI API calls; exact numbers require a quote.

Basis Theory: What does it cost to start?

995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.

Backbase: Is it suited to business as well as retail banking?

Yes, it includes modules specifically for small business banking engagement alongside retail.

Basis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?

Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.

Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?

Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.

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